Tennessee man pleads guilty to shootings at gay-friendly church

An 58-year-old jobless man in Tennessee has admitted to the killing of two people and the wounding of six others at a church last year.

Jim Adkisson was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

He opened fire on the church crowd at just after 10am on Sunday 27th July 2008, while children from the Sunday school were performing the musical Annie.

The liberal church is an active supporter of gay and human rights.

He was charged with the murder of 60-year-old Greg McKendry and 61-year-old Linda Kraeger, who was visiting the church from Westside Unitarian Universalist Church.

Adkisson said he targeted the church because he hated gays and liberals.

Adkisson did not plan to leave the church alive. According to a police report, “officers recovered 76 shells for a 12-gauge, semiautomatic shotgun inside the church … he certainly intended to take a lot of casualties.”

Police obtained a letter written by Adkisson from his SUV, which was parked in the church lot.

Extracts were published in the Knokville News Sentinel after the trail. Described as a “manifesto and would-be suicide letter,” Adkisson expresses his hatred for liberals and frustration at not being able to find work.

“Over the years, I’ve had some good jobs, but I always got layed (sic) off,” he wrote.

“Now I’m 58 years old and I can’t get a decent job. I’m told I’m ‘over qualified,’ which is a code word for ‘too damned old,’ like I’m expected to age gracefully in poverty. No thanks! I’m done …

“Don’t let the word church mislead you. This isn’t a church, it’s a cult. They don’t even believe in God. They worship the God of secularism …

“They embrace every pervert that comes down the pike, but if they find out your (sic) a conservative, they absolutely hate you.